MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Franklin Pierce
University Ravens, led by a 10-point punch from Jordan
Baillargeon and Lauren Stille, battled
past the Hawks for a 16-13 victory at Saint Anselm's Melucci
Field. Meghan Smith (Pittsford, N.Y.) scored
five goals in the game for the Hawks. The win lifts the
Ravens to 4-7 (2-5 NE-10), while the Hawks fall to 4-5 (2-4 NE-10).
Lauren Alfis (Hanover, Mass.) got the scoring
started for the Hawks early in the first half, netting an
unassisted goal at 26:04. Less than a minute later, she fed
teammate Meghan Smith a perfect pass from the right side, for a
quick 2-0 Hawk lead. Jordan Baillargeon countered with goal
from Ashley Moirano at 23:40, but Shawna
Walsh (Woburn, Mass.) put the Hawks back up 3-1 at
22:34.
After a nine-minute scoring drought, Kimberly
Jaksina narrowed the gap to one with an unassisted goal
from the right side of the net. Smith regained the
Hawks' two-goal lead at 11:23, lacing a hard shot from out in
front. The Ravens then had a momentum switch, netting three
quick goals over the next two minutes, to take their first lead of
the game, 5-4.
Carrie Brophy (Mansfield, Mass.) knotted the
score at five with five minutes to go in the half, but Moirano and
Brianna Nash scored two more goals before the end
of the period, for a 7-5 Raven lead heading into halftime.
Britini Hickman (Farmington, N.H.) scored a
quick goal for the Hawks just 53 seconds after the opening whistle
in the second half, but Mary Kate Stille then
notched a pair of free position shots, to give the Ravens their
biggest lead of the game, 9-6.
The Hawks continued to fight, never allowing the Ravens a larger
lead than three, but they were unable to catch the Ravens, who
always seemed to be one step ahead.
With 33 seconds remaining in the game, the Ravens holding a
15-13 lead, Jordan Baillargeon stepped into the arc for a free
position shot. The foul was called on Hawk goaltender
Katherine O'Hara (Norwell, Mass.), so
Baillargeon had an open net to shoot at. Looking to put the
game away, Baillargeon took her shot, but senior defender
Katie O'Brien (Peabody, Mass.) hurled
herself in front of the net, and blocked Baillargeon's shot
to keep the Hawks within two.
However, Baillargeon got another chance for a free position shot
two seconds later, and this time she was successful, securing the
Ravens their second NE-10 victory of the season with a final score
of 16-13.
O'Hara turned aside seven shots in the game, while Raven
goaltender Jillian Bolduc stopped a total of 21
shots, holding the Hawks to just 1-14 in free position attempts.
The Hawks continue their homestand on Saturday, April 17, when
they host the No. 1 Adelphi University Panthers in a Northeast-10
Conference matchup beginning at noon.
